Debates Heats Up On Chilima’s Acting President Capacity

There has been hot debate on various social media platforms over the ascending to acting president by the embattled vice president, Saulos Chilima following president Lazarus Chakwera’s trip to the United States of America on Sunday.

The divided opinions come in the wake of the beleaguered vice president who is on bail answering corruption charges in court now being at the helm of government business in the absence of his boss who departed on Sunday for Washington DC to attend the US-Africa Leaders Summit at the invitation of President Joe Biden.

While some argued that he is only a suspect until proven otherwise by the court some quarters still argued that there is need for a review on the matter and possibly force Chilima to step down as Vice president until a logical conclusion of his case.

A contributer in his imagination shared on CFT WhatsApp forum asked the safety of the Anti-Corruption Bureau Director General, Martha Chizuma or anyone working for the Bureau, the Police Inspector General and army Commander reporting to someone they arrested a few days ago, confiscated his travel documents who is now the acting President.

“Imagine, Chilima is now the acting Commander in Chief of the Army and the Malawi Police Service the institutions which physically arrested the vice president who is now acting head of state, how do the army commander and the IG feel now? ,” he queried.

Commenting on the matter in a separate interview, the Executive Director for the Social Action for Development, Isaac Cheke Ziba said with the current situation the fight against corruption still remains cosmetic in this country because the tone at the top is that of abating, aiding and benefitting from corruption.

“The top level leadership is helping to shield the corrupt and anyone can see it; reasons are best known to themselves,” Ziba said.

While sharing the same sentiments with Ziba, senior governance and human rights expert, Undule Mwakasungula called for understanding arguing that constitutionally Chilima is the Vice President and no any power or authority can remove him from that position.

“It is in order for the President to leave authority to the Vice President as that is constitutional, the corruption case has nothing to do with him acting as president while the president is away, Saulosi is just a suspect and must be given the chance to clear himself from a competent court of law,” said Mwakasungula.

Mwakasungula further added that Chilima’s corruption case will not stop him from enjoying the privileges and benefits accorded to him as vice president or acting President while the president is away.

“If he is found guilty then that can be another issue but as of now he is innocent unless proven guilty,” he concluded.

Writing on his official Facebook page the Malawi leader reported that the summit will among others foster new trade and investment linkages with the US and other multilateral institutions, providing an opportunity to advance Malawi’s interests on the economy, education, health, good governance, peace, security and climate change.